one chapter wonders
by whitherwaywill
Summary: A collection of unrelated drabbles and ficlets with various pairings and storylines.
1. Carpe Diem: RonHermione

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

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_****Carpe Diem****_

_Ron/Hermione_

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Hermione doesn't know when she was first attracted to him. Doesn't know when she stops seeing him as that ridiculous, gangly child who couldn't be bothered to wash the dirt off of his face before he got on the train. Doesn't know when those blue eyes stopped being watery and started being breathtaking. Doesn't know when red hair stopped being garish and became striking.

Doesn't know when she first fell in love with Ronald Weasley.

It was slow, she supposes. Slow and steady, throughout their constant fights and bickering and arguing, with poor Harry caught in between, begging them…

_"Please, I hate having my two best friends mad at each other…"_

_"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry, would you like me to change my personality to make it easier for you to get along with Ron?"_

Fighting and arguing and yelling like middle school children until they realised that it was all a show, they were fighting about nothing, and when he said, _Hermione, you're such a stuck up swot_ he was really saying _Hermione, you're beautiful _and when she says _Ronald Weasley, you are insufferable _she's really saying _Ron, I love you_, but they're kids, really. And just because they had to grow up too quickly in some ways doesn't mean they'll mature just as fast in others.

She remembers kissing him at the final battle. It was all passion, all fire, all consuming…they might be heading out to their deaths.

Carpe diem.

Except when you might be dead the next day, that phrase takes on an entirely new meaning and it means kissing one of your best friends with an armful of basilisk fangs and the fate of your entire world on the line.

Was it love? Was it really, really love?

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**a/n: Review:)**

I will be accepting prompts and/or pairing requests for this collection, through PM :)


	2. Fifty Years

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

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**Written for the Houses Competition Year 4 Round 7**

**House: **Ravenclaw

**Year: **4

**Category: **Drabble

**Prompt: **[Prompt] Sing Happy Birthday to someone

**Word Count: **729

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_****Fifty Years****_

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"Hey, Mum."

Hermione's face twisted into a grimace as she tried to smile. After a second, she gave up, her shoulders shaking as she held herself together by force of will alone.

The Grangers had never been totally alone in the world. There had been friends, colleagues, who had searched for Richard and Sarah Granger. They had never been able to find the couple.

Hermione's memory charm had worked too well. It had only been supposed to last until the end of the war, until Hermione could reunite her family once more. But she was the brightest witch of her age. Hermione built a memory charm so strong no Death Eater, not even the Dark Lord, could break it. And she used it on her parents.

After the war, Hermione was ready to bring her family together once more. But in Australia, no matter what she tried, she could not remind Richard and Sarah Granger that they were not Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Hermione realized she had protected her parents too well. No one could break her memory charm. Including herself.

Two years had passed since the war ended. Two years during which Hermione's parents lived in Australia, childless, as Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

At some point in those two years, the friends and colleagues had realized that the Grangers were never going to return. So, they had erected a gravestone in a London cemetery, with the Grangers' names.

Hermione sniffed as she gazed down at the gravestone. It was wet, as it was wont to be in London. The clouds cast a dismal pallor across the city. A cold, steady drizzle fell from the sky, splashing onto Hermione's umbrella. Eyes still fixed on the grave, she knelt down on the cold ground. She could feel the damp seeping into her jeans, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Adjusting her black umbrella over her shoulder, she made a second attempt.

"Hey, Mum." Hermione reached out, brushing Sarah's name. "I know this is rather odd. I know…I know you can't actually hear me." Hermione huffed a laugh. It quickly distorted into a sob. "But it's your birthday. And I miss you." She dashed a hand across her face, wiping the tears away. Sighing, she sat back on her heels.

"Here," she said. She turned to the side. Making sure no one was watching, she brought out her beaded bag. She slipped a hand inside, and drew out a box. Setting it down on the base of the grave, she opened it, revealing a simple chocolate cupcake. Hermione found the candle in her pocket, and quickly stuck it in the cupcake.

"I can't light it, so it's not perfect," Hermione smiled wanly. "I thought I'd sing 'Happy Birthday' to you, though. Seeing as you're turning fifty."

Folding her hands, Hermione began to sing softly. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to…to…" She wrapped her arms around herself as she began to cry softly. Not for the first time, the magnitude of what she had done crushed her. "I'm sorry, Mum," she sniffled. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you aren't here. My fault I can't tell you happy birthday in person. My fault that you won't be there when I get married, that you won't ever meet your grandchildren…"

Hermione was sobbing now, a torrent of tears flooding down her face. She shook as she tried to hold it in, pull it back. It was too much. She missed her mother.

"Hermione – hey, Hermione…" A soothing voice reached her ears. She could feel the two men who had accompanied her standing on either side of her. On her right, Ron squatted down, a hand rubbing her back.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked, kneeling beside her and grabbing her hand.

Hermione laughed without any hilarity. "Yes," she said unconvincingly.

"Hermione," Ron sighed.

She hiccuped. "I just wanted to sing 'Happy Birthday'."

"Okay," Harry said quietly. "Okay."

Ron nodded solemnly. "Let's sing 'Happy Birthday', then. You want to start?"

Hermione nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "Okay."

She began the first verse. As she sang, she could hear her best friends' voices intertwining with hers, their melody floating up into the dreary London sky.

And even though her mother wasn't there, even though Hermione knew her mother couldn't hear her…she somehow knew that Sarah Granger would have been proud of her daughter.

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**a/n: Review:)**


	3. Watching From the Sidelines

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

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**Written for the Houses Competition Year 4 Round 7**

**House: **Ravenclaw

**Year: **4

**Category: **Standard

**Prompt: **[Song Prompt] Creep by Postmodern Jukebox (cover)

**Word Count: **1754 (Microsoft Word)

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_****Watching from the Sidelines****_

* * *

It was ridiculous. They were a group of four, for goodness' sake. Peter shouldn't feel this left out, this alone, when he was with his friends.

Nevertheless, here he was. The fourth wheel to a deformed, three-wheeled bike. It turned his stomach, watching them laugh and joke together.

The Marauders were the unquestioned kings of Gryffindor. And not a day went by that Peter wasn't grateful for the good luck that placed him in their dormitory, that very first year.

He was grateful. Yes. Grateful.

As they walked down the halls, students parted like the Red Sea. James walked at the point, Lily blushing next to him. People passing by whistled and gasped. Everyone was familiar with what had seemed like James' futile quest to win Lily's heart. Now they were finally official, and those who knew of the drama were still shocked when the pair pranced by.

Sirius and Remus walked slightly behind the happy couple. Sirius bounded in circles around Remus, who was trying in vain to prevent the other boy from stealing his bag.

Peter didn't even notice as he slowed, then stopped, walking. He was staring off after his friends. A part of him was waiting for them to stop, too. In his mind's eye, he could see it clearly.

_James turned over his shoulder, an offhand comment dying on his lips as he noticed his intended audience was missing. He frowned, and stopped abruptly, tugging Lily to a stop with him. Remus narrowly avoided a head-on collision, steering Sirius around the couple before coming to a stop as well._

_"Hey, Moony, where's Peter?" James asked, his eyes scanning the hall for the shortest Marauder._

_"He was right here…" Remus said. James didn't respond. His eyes lit up as he saw Peter, stopped a little ways behind him._

_"Hey, Pete!" He called out. "Catch up!"_

_Peter grinned, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and running towards his friends…_

Peter was jolted out of his daydream quite literally when a greasy-haired boy slammed into him.

"Watch where you're walking," the boy spat darkly.

"W-watch where you're walking, Sev – Sni – Snivellus," Peter retaliated hesitantly. He had never had to deal with any of the Slytherins alone before – or at least, not in the past year.

The sallow-skinned boy sneered down at Peter. Even with his terrible posture, Snape loomed over Peter's short, rotund frame. Peter scowled, trying to mask the tremble in his upper lip. He nervously glanced in the direction of the other Marauders, but they were too far down the hall to notice his predicament.

"Not so brave without your little friends around, are you," Severus sneered. He curled his lip, following Peter's gaze. Peter flinched away as the Slytherin's eyes narrowed, focusing in on James' arm, wrapped around Lily's shoulders.

"Back off, Snape," Peter said quietly. He puffed out his shoulders, proud of how he suppressed the tremble in his voice.

Snape's sneer didn't fade as he returned his attention to Peter. In fact, it grew.

"You still don't realise," he snickered bitterly. Shaking his head, he moved a step closer to Peter. Even in that small movement, his robes billowed outward like a bat's wings. "You follow them around like a lost puppy. You stare at Potter and Black like they're _special_, like they hung the stars and the moon in the sky, but you _still don't get it."_

"G - get away from me, c - creep," Peter stuttered. He glanced nervously around him, but no one was paying attention. As always, he was invisible.

Peter took another step back, but Snape matched his pace, hovering menacingly over the shorter boy.

"I'm the creep?" Severus' voice was a knife's edge, smooth and brittle and dangerous. "You call me the creep, the weirdo, for what? Watching from the sidelines?"

Peter couldn't meet Severus' blackhearted scowl.

"If I'm a creep," Severus snarled, "what are you?"

With that, the other boy whirled around. His robes flailed around him as he stalked down the hallway, shoving through the masses of students.

Peter was left frozen in the middle of the hall, Severus' words echoing in his ears.

The other Marauders had stopped a little ways down the hall, horsing around with a group of Gryffindors.

Watching from the sidelines, Peter could feel a cold trickle of _something _slide into his heart.

* * *

Peter shoved the ice-cold feeling of resentment and despair away, pushing into the corners where he hid all his deepest, darkest fears.

He cheered at graduation. He was there, wide-eyed and innocent and righteous as all the Marauders and their friends were inducted into the Order of the Phoenix.

And that icy cold in the corners of his heart grew.

He watched Lily and James get married, with Sirius as the best man. He watched them make plans for their future, with Remus as their permanent house guest. He heard of impromptu dinner parties he had never been invited to, because he hadn't been there when the invitation to "stay for dinner" was issued.

Then, one day, Peter was on a mission. Peter was on a mission alone, a mission assigned to him _alone _by Dumbledore, of some small importance that seemed imperative at the time.

And Peter fell right into the hands of the Dark Lord.

Peter came face to face with the great evil, his worst nightmare, bound and bowed and sniveling at the monster's feet.

Blubbering, Peter tried desperately to think of what Remus would do. Of what Sirius would do. Of what James would do.

Peter didn't even know the Dark Lord was in his head until that cold bitterness rose up inside him. He stiffened with a gasp.

"Ah," the Dark Lord crooned softly. "You don't belong there, Peter Pettigrew. They don't value you." The man took a step closer, a pale finger tracing along Peter's jaw. "We have a place for you here...Wormtail."

Receiving the Dark Mark was the worst pain Peter had ever felt.

But it burned away the icy cold.

* * *

A year later, Peter was invited to a baby shower.

The invitation came as a shock. Not because he didn't know Lily was pregnant (although James hadn't been the one to tell him). No, it was a surprise because by that point, Peter had stopped receiving frequent invitations to the Potters' home.

It was easy to forget how special James Potter was when Peter didn't spend most of his time in the man's company.

When he arrived at the party, James greeted him at the door, a huge smile on his face as he hugged Peter.

"Wormtail!" he exclaimed. "It's been too long. Why haven't you been over lately?"

"I've been...busy," Peter said grudgingly. "And I wasn't invited. I'm surprised I was invited to _this _gathering."

"Of course we invited you, Peter!" James said blithely. It didn't seem he had actually heard Peter talk, his eyes scanning the room instead. "You're one of my best friends." He clapped his friend on the shoulder with a bright, angelic grin. Turning, he made his way back to his pregnant wife.

Peter stood in the corner. Suddenly, he was reminded of all those days at Hogwarts where he watched, given the menial tasks, taking the blame. Clapping his hands for feats he was never brave enough to perform himself. Taking whatever tidbits of attention he could get.

Peter stood in the corner like a creep, like the weirdo he was in this group of brave fools, for ten minutes.

Then, he made his way to the door, and quietly let himself out.

He was almost at the apparition point when he heard a shout behind him.

"Oi! Pettigrew!"

Swiveling, Peter saw James galloping toward him. Peter didn't stop moving to the apparition point, walking backwards.

"Leaving already?" James said, slowing to a jog.

"I'm...not feeling well," Peter lied.

"Oh, that's a pity," James sighed. "We were hoping you'd be here when we announced who's to be the godfather."

"The godfather?" Peter repeated blankly. James gazed at him with that timeless grin. Surely...surely he must mean Peter was to be the child's godfather, if -

"Of course!" James said. "We need _someone _to get Sirius' reaction on tape. I bet Remus that he'd pass out, once we told him he's the third parent."

"Oh." Peter cursed himself for allowing that tiny hope, that tiny voice inside that still wanted James Potter's approval, to grow for even a minute. "Well. Sorry I can't be of service. I must be off. Don't want to puke over Lily's garden."

Peter couldn't meet James' eyes as he took a step backwards, over the invisible ward-line. With a sharp crack, he apparated away.

That night, Peter Pettigrew gave up the Potters' location to the Dark Lord.

* * *

**Twelve Years Later...**

The boy had Lily's eyes. And James' face.

It had been two months, and Peter still couldn't get that face out of his mind. That's why he had returned to Godric's Hollow. To remind himself that James wasn't the angel Peter remembered.

Peter stared down at James' grave. The years had not been kind to the pudgy, short boy. After spending so long in his Animagus form, the man was beginning to take on some of its traits. He was wearing an ill-fitting, ragged coat. His hair was greasy, rivaling that of Severus Snape's. His nose twitched, not unlike a rat, matching his oversized front teeth.

"I was your best friend," Peter said hollowly. He could feel his nonexistent tail twitching along with his nose. The wind whipped unforgivingly across the clearing, rustling through the snow. It was almost Christmas. Once upon a time, that would have meant packing to go home. Watching James and Sirius plan a vacation, full of excitement. Watching Remus' book get torn away, the other two boys gleefully including their third in their capers.

Once upon a time, Peter would've laughed awkwardly, ever the willing audience. The shadow to James' light.

"I was your best friend," Peter repeated. There was no emotion in his voice as he looked down at the one last reminder of his friend. His friend. He stubbornly clung to that word, that identity, even as the hollow feeling growing in his chest reminded him that it wasn't true. That it hadn't been true, for a long, long time now. Peter had been James' friend. James had been Peter's friend.

His friend, who he killed.

Even in death, James was beyond him.

Peter was still watching from the sidelines. He was still a creep.

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**a/n: Review:)**

**Much thanks to Newt for the beta!**


	4. A Simple Trick

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

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**Written for the Houses Competition Year 4 Round 6**

**House: **Ravenclaw

**Year: **4

**Category: **Standard

**Prompt: **[Object] Magnet

**Word Count: **928 (Microsoft Word)

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_****A Simple Trick****_

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It was too easy. A simple summoning spell from the doorway of McGonagall's classroom, just as the third-year transfiguration class was dismissed. Fred smirked as he examined the small object in his hand. He twirled out of the doorframe and leaned up against the wall as the young Gryffindors thundered past him.

He could hear the trio before he could see them. They were walking slower than the rest of their housemates, chattering with each other as they went.

"Hermione, do you need help? I didn't even think it was possible to have that many books in one bag."

"No, no, I'm fine, Harry, I just – I can't find my magnet, it was just here - "

"Honestly, we get that you're smart, Hermione. But a magnet? Really? Just turning the chess piece to stone wasn't enough for you?"

"I was bored, and there was still an hour of class left, Ron. Just because I finished the given assignment... Did _you_ take my magnet, Ron?"

"No!"

At this, Fred had to laugh. The three of them were just passing by him. Ron jumped.

"Hey – you're not supposed to be anywhere near this side of the castle."

"Ah, but I'm never where I'm supposed to be, Ron," Fred said with a wink to Harry Potter. The boy was standing slightly behind Ron, a friendly smile on his face.

Hermione was still rummaging through her bag, oblivious to Fred's presence. "Ron, are you sure you didn't take it?"

"Take what?" Fred asked mischievously.

"My magnet," Hermione said, finally looking up. "I had some time left over to experiment, and I turned my stone pawn to a magnet. McGonagall said that if I could delineate how I was able to do so, then she would give me fifty house points."

"How incredibly generous of her," Fred said, nodding seriously. "Well, I'll leave you young whippersnappers to it then." He pulled a pawn out of his pocket and examined it. "Perhaps we can play a friendly game of chess later, Hermione." That said, Fred retreated down the hall, whistling cheerfully.

"A game of chess," Hermione sniffed, head once again down in her bag. "Maybe if I can find that _magnet_ – "

"Hermione," Harry interrupted her. "The chess piece – er – magnet – was it a pawn?"

* * *

Fred was in the library, a mountain of books gathered around him. He languidly flipped through one of them, skimming the pages. He didn't actually need the books. They were just a part of the show, for when –

His musings were interrupted by a shadow that fell across his page. He looked up to see Hermione standing between him and the light. She was furious, hands on her hips and hair sparking with magic.

"I know you have my magnet," she seethed. "Give it back."

"Sorry, what? I have no idea what you're talking about," Fred grinned.

Hermione groaned, collapsing into the second seat at the table and throwing her hand out in front of her. "Fred, give me my magnet!"

"Why?"

"It's an extra credit assignment. I need it!"

Fred shrugged. "Far be it from me to stand in the way of your Outstanding." He held out his hand. Hermione stared. Her magnet was there, yes, but attached to it was another magnet.

Hermione glared at him. "I don't want your magnet. Take them apart," she commanded.

Fred opened his eyes wide, affecting an innocent look. "You think I haven't tried? I thought I'd compare your work to my own, and this is what happens!" He gestured theatrically to the pile of books in front of him. "I've gone through every single transfiguration book in the library."

"Stop teasing, Fred, and just separate the magnets!"

"Tell you what. You hold onto your magnet, and I'll hold onto mine. Then we'll both pull, and see what happens," Fred suggested.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She held a hand out, taking the pawn in her hand.

"On three. One, two, three…"

The pair each pulled with all of their might, but nothing happened.

"You know," Fred said conversationally, "maybe we shouldn't try to take them apart. If they want to be together so badly."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I – George and I – would like to propose a partnership."

Hermione stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Think about it, 'Mione." Fred leaned forward, an excited look on his face, one that sent tingles down her spine. "We're all bright and exceptional young people who have far too much free time on their hands. Think of what we could do! The possibilities are endless. We could leave our mark on this castle, and – "

Hermione's eyes widened. Behind Fred, she could see Ron poke his head into the library, without a doubt looking for her. "I have to go," she said hastily, grabbing the magnets.

"Think about it!" Fred exclaimed after her. "Great fun, remember!"

Hermione barreled out of the library, Ron backing away and beginning to walk toward Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Harry joined him.

"Hermione, what were you doing?" Ron asked.

"Fred took my magnet," Hermione said breathlessly. "I was getting it back." Proudly she displayed her project in her hand.

"Hermione, I think you have two magnets there," Harry pointed out.

Hermione glanced down at her palm, and a grin overtook her face. Laughing, she turned to face her friends. "I suppose it's his turn to retrieve his magnet from me, then."

After all, Fred was one half of the Weasley twins. And they never went for long without a prank.

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**a/n: Review:)**


	5. Down the Slide: GinnyPansy

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

* * *

**Written for the Houses Competition Year 4 Round 6**

**House: **Ravenclaw

**Year: **4

**Category: **Standard

**Prompt: **[Object] Slide

**Word Count: **1944

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_****Down the Slide****_

* * *

Ginny hummed quietly as she padded down the hall of the flat she shared with Pansy. Reaching the living room, she hovered in the doorway. Pansy was sitting on their small couch, absorbed in a wizarding biography that Hermione had no doubt recommended to her.

Sneakily, Ginny slunk up behind the other woman, and snatched the book out of her hands.

"Hey!" Pansy protested, eyes narrowing. She reached for her wand. "Accio – "

"Wait!" Ginny exclaimed, fumbling the book as Pansy's half formed spell attempted to get it back.

"Wait?" Pansy lowered her wand, but a confused expression appeared upon her face. "If I wait, you might steal it, like you stole my shoes."

Ginny burst out in laughter, flopping down onto the couch. She tugged Pansy over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"That was two years ago...and I did not _steal _your shoes, you left them behind because you were too busy worrying about escaping your one-night stand rather than what you were wearing."

"Whose closet are they in now?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "We share a closet, Pans."

Pansy giggled. "I can't fault you that argument. A shared closet. Just like everything else in our life." A happy sigh escaped her.

"Speaking of sharing." Ginny cleared her throat. "Want to tell me about the slide?"

Pansy tensed. The slide. Oh, that Merlin forsaken slide.

"Slide? What slide?" she asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about," Ginny said unshakably. "Tell me why you wouldn't go on the slide."

Pansy groaned. She couldn't pretend she hadn't seen this coming. But still, she would've been very happy putting off the conversation forever.

A muggle slide was the stuff of nightmares.

It had happened two weeks prior. Hermione and Ron had just moved into their new home, in a muggle neighborhood. The number of charms placed on that lot to protect both the Weasleys and their unborn child was staggering.

In the backyard, there was a tall metal structure. An excited Hermione had pointed it out, mentioning that the previous owners had left it behind. Then, she explained how it worked.

Pansy had thought it was some sort of medieval muggle torture instrument. Even after seeing many of her friends and their children go down it, she still wasn't convinced it wasn't.

It was like a magic carpet, except you had no control over where you were going.

Ginny, always ready to try something new, had swung up the ladder at the back. Egged on by her nephews' cheers, she had slid down. Eyes bright, she walked up to Pansy and dared her to do the same.

Pansy refused.

And Pansy had continued refusing, even after Ginny began to include Harry and Draco and Hermione and Ron and Theo in the argument.

Eventually, she accepted Pansy's 'no'. But it had been with a sidelong look that confirmed this would be revisited later.

Pansy grimaced as she remembered Teddy and James' shrieks as they flew down that mountainous slope at an alarming speed.

"I'm an adult," she informed Ginny.

"I'm well aware."

"Adults don't go down slides."

"I did."

"You're a child at heart, Ginny." Pansy lifted her hand to pat Ginny's cheek.

"Harry did."

"Harry has a child to go down the slide with."

Ginny sighed. She quietly stroked Pansy's hair for a moment. "Pans, why wouldn't you go down the slide with me?"

Pansy deliberated a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I don't care to fall, even if I am technically sitting down."

"Maybe it's not so much falling as it is…springing forward. I think sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. It's good to jump without knowing what's on the other side."

Pansy snorted. She sat up, Ginny's arms falling from her shoulders as Pansy moved just an inch too far away for them to rest comfortably. "You sound like you're planning on making me jump off a building. I'm not having it, Weasley."

"Not a building," Ginny smirked. Her eyes sparkled in a way that Pansy had learned to fear. "Just a slide. You don't even have to jump."

Pansy frowned, scooting back to lean against the arm of the couch. "No, you just want me to fall," she muttered.

Ginny's grin widened as she crossed her legs in front of her, turning to face Pansy and scoot forward until their knees were touching. Reaching out, she took Pansy's hands in her own. "I thought you already had fallen," she murmured, bringing Pansy's hands to her lips. "For me."

Pansy sighed, all of the fight flooding out of her as she met Ginny's soft brown eyes with her own. "I don't want to go on the slide," she said petulantly. "It's…undignified."

Ginny shrugged. "It's fun."

"It could break," Pansy continued. "I could fall down the ladder at the back."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Really, now."

"I don't want to land in the dirt!"

"Cushioning charm."

"It could burn me. Sliding across something causes an extreme amount of friction, and – "

"Pansy…"

"It's a bad idea," Pansy insisted desperately. "If my mother found out –"

Ginny's hands briefly tightened around Pansy's. "How would she find out?" she asked. "I'll be the only one to know."

"And Ron, and Hermione…"

"We'll jump their fence."

Pansy shook her head. She trembled, pulling her hands away from Ginny's. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't be perfect falling down a slide."

Ginny's eyes filled with compassion. She edged forward, swinging Pansy's legs over her own and gathering her girlfriend into her lap. "You don't have to be perfect with me," she reassured Pansy. "I love every part of you."

Pansy smiled, resting her head on Ginny's shoulder.

"So," Ginny continued. "Slide?"

Pansy groaned, falling back against the couch. "Fine."

"Finally!" Ginny cheered quietly, throwing her arms into the air. Pansy shook her head, unable to hide her own beaming smile at the sight of Ginny's happiness. Her lips curved deviously as she drew herself off the couch once more. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to Ginny's jawline. Pulling away slightly, she moved until she was sitting fully on Ginny's lap. "Pansy, what are you doing?" Ginny asked, a laughing tone coating her voice.

"I agreed to go on the slide," Pansy said. She had shrugged off her dismay, and her voice was suddenly flirtatious. "What do I get in return?"

Ginny snorted, an unladylike giggle escaping her. "Ever the Slytherin," she said. "Well, I'm sure that something can be arr –"

The rest of her sentence was cut off as Pansy's mouth covered her own.

* * *

Two days later, Pansy was once again surveying Hermione and Ron's new backyard. Except this time, she was doing it from the top of the slide.

"Just sit down, and slide!" Ginny encouraged her.

Pansy looked down. From where she was standing, the ground seemed miles away. She began to shake her head vehemently.

"No. Definitely not."

"Well, I had hoped to maybe do this differently, but since it seems you need further inspiration…"

Pansy's eyes widened in disbelief. Ginny had gotten down on one knee, kneeling in the soft turf at the bottom of the slide. As Pansy watched incredulously, her girlfriend reached into a pocket and pulled out a navy blue box – just the right size for a ring.

"You!" Pansy cried out. "How dare you!" Her dark eyes flashed, glaring down at Ginny.

Ginny didn't even have the decency to blush, or even to look slightly taken aback. She just gazed up at Pansy, a soft smile on her face.

"How dare I?" she repeated. "Pansy Parkinson, I haven't made a secret of how much I love and adore you. I don't think you've ever had reason to doubt my intentions, ever since you first banged down my apartment door, demanding I return the high heels I borrowed."

"Stole." Pansy's eyes narrowed, although a smile of her own was beginning to grow on her face. "You stole those shoes."

Ginny continued on, only acknowledging Pansy's comment with a wink. "I was always planning on returning them, Pansy. You just made my life easier by coming to me first."

"Ginny…"

Ginny outright laughed. Opening the box, she held it above her head. The diamond inside sparkled blindingly in the sun's light. "I have this pretty little bauble down here waiting for you, Pans," she teased. "Are you going to come down the slide and get it?"

Pansy gripped the railing in front of her. She stole a longing glance behind her, at the ladder, which would take far too long to climb. Pansy growled in frustration. Facing forward again, she sat down, stretching her legs down the slope of the slide. A determined scowl formed on her face she prepared to push off.

Then, praying to Merlin and Morgana and any other entity who would listen, Pansy launched herself down the slide.

The air whipped past her face, startling a squeal out of her as she hurtled down the slide. She felt an exhilarating rush, gliding down the slide. All too soon, it was over. In one smooth moment Pansy felt her feet touch the ground. Then, Ginny was spinning her in a circle.

A laugh startled Pansy as she added another spin to face her girlfriend. Smiling widely, she rested her forehead against Ginny. She could feel small strands of her hair escaping her perfectly sculpted low bun, tickling her neck, but she didn't care.

"I went down the slide," she said breathlessly, looking into Ginny's eyes.

Ginny grinned. "Do you want your prize?" She unwound one of her arms from Pansy, holding out the blue box. It was still open. The ring glinted up at Pansy, but the woman wasn't paying any attention to it. She was watching Ginny.

Under her steady gaze, Ginny swallowed, and broke eye contact, turning her gaze to the ring. She held it out. "Put it on," she encouraged Pansy.

"Wait a minute," Pansy interrupted, holding up a finger. "I haven't said yes yet."

Ginny laughed nervously. "Yes, but – you're going to…right?"

Pansy let a slow smirk creep onto her face. Ginny shifted her weight. The air between them was silent. Not even the rustling of the leaves in the summer breeze broke the silence.

Finally, the smirk on Pansy's face lost its edge, and she spoke. "Would I ever say no?" she asked softly.

Her quiet question was answer enough. Ginny's whole face brightened as she beamed. Quickly, she removed the ring from the box. Pansy held out her hand.

Nothing could dampen the joy they both felt as Ginny slid the ring onto Pansy's finger.

* * *

"Ack – Oh, Merlin, my eyes…" Ron stumbled into Hermione's office, collapsing dramatically in the first available chair.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, looking up from the ream of papers she was analyzing.

Ron pointed wordlessly in the direction of the door. "Did you know my sister and her girlfriend are in the backyard?"

Hermione's confusion cleared. "Oh, yes. Ginny asked if they could come over. She said something about our slide…" Crisis averted, she returned to her work.

"So – you're also aware that my sister and her girlfriend are _snogging_ in our backyard?"

Hermione's head snapped up. She had to fight back a smile at the sight of her husband. Ron was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "My _baby sister, _Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, raising his hands awkwardly. "A man should never have to see something like that. Why – why would they even be doing that here?"

At this, the smile completely escaped Hermione's control. "Oh, I might have some idea," she said nonchalantly. "I did take Ginny ring shopping."

* * *

**a/n: Review:)**


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